One moment I was filled with rage and confusion about my life, the next thing I knew I'm playing cards, drinking whiskey, chuckling at their jokes (which Satan had an abundance of), and feeling like nothing else mattered.
Had they put something in my drink? A nagging feeling started to creep up on me, but I couldn't help but be immersed in the fun and joy that I hadn't felt in a while.
I was happy and content with my newfound relationship with them, yet something in me cautioned against trusting it completely.
“Hey, Satan,” I spoke up hesitantly, not knowing where this conversation would lead us.
“What is it, Walter?” They seemed to be eagerly looking for attention; was I their master now, after taking away the ultimate price from them? Was the evil of my deed beginning to rub off on me?
“When did everything get all fucked up for you? When did it get so bad that you sought help from God on the day I killed you?”
—
Possession Island by Gorillaz is played in the background.
—
“There's no doubt that the world is in a pretty sorry state now, but even before then it wasn't good - that's what your Ultra-High promised you. But if you're asking about human society specifically, then that's a tougher one.”
“Go ahead and give it a shot anyway; try to pinpoint a specific moment.”
“Just a second," they raised their hand to stop me, "pinpointing a single moment may be impossible." They paused before continuing. “Remember that time isn't linear for me like it is for you. A period of time could consist of a century, a decade, or even a day, and that day could be located in your past or future. I don't just recall the past as you see it; I also remember the future, its beginning, as well as its end. It's only a matter of time until the past catches up with me."
I took a few seconds to contemplate this new idea. “But let's come back to that later. For now, pretend you're human and view time as I do. What would your answer be then?”
“You know," they said, their emotions rising, "the 20th Century was pretty fucked up, but nothing compared to what came after. Your early 21st Century was the worst and the tipping point for me. After 2000 years since Jesus' death, after all the bloodshed and wars and pollution, after feminism and civil rights liberation, after all the progress humanity had made through its painful evolution, despite everything we'd learned up to that moment...you still let it happen. You still allowed the 21st Century to reach fruition. It started alright for most during the first ten to fifteen years, but sometime after that...it all went wrong."
I paused before asking, “So, does that mean the start of something would have been around 2016?”
“Probably. I'd guess that's when it all began — just give or take a decade.”
“Makes sense,” I said, nodding my head. “That's when I thought things started to go downhill for humans as well.” With that, we returned to sitting in silence.
--
Music in this episode - best played whilst reading - Possession Island by Gorillaz featuring Beck
This is a live book series writing/story art graphic novel cyberpunk, dystopian fantasy project. Written by Sam I Am Artwork by Wonder Ai directed by Sam I Am. Copyright is protected. It is a first rough draft work in progress so will change over time. This project is part of the SleeplessDystopian.com writing projects.
Words by me.
Images directed by me and created using Wonder Ai
